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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · leaves · wave · plane · degree · sharp · date · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. degree — temperature
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. firm — decided
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — electric
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. sharp — clever
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. date — the fruit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. firm — steady
  21. degree — from a university
  22. current — happening now
  23. degree — an amount
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com